PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) today announced it has been selected by Penn Medicine to install a Varian ProBeam® Compact single-room proton therapy system in a new cancer treatment center. In addition to the equipment, Varian will also provide its ARIA® information management system and Eclipse™ treatment planning system. Construction of the new center is expected to start in January 2018, with the first patient treatments commencing in January 2020.

The Varian ProBeam Compact system is the only single room system capable of fully rotational intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Treatments can be delivered with an unmatched combination of speed, flexibility and cost efficiency. The full-featured ProBeam Compact includes a cyclotron, Varian's unique Dynamic Peak™ scanning technology for IMPT, a fully rotational gantry, robotic patient positioning tools, and a comprehensive suite of motion management tools. It incorporates cone beam CT imaging for positioning the patient based on high quality anatomical images with excellent soft tissue resolution, and Varian's world-class Eclipse and ARIA software systems for the planning and managing of treatments

"We are excited to be working with Penn Medicine on the development of this new facility," said Dr. Moataz Karmalawy, general manager of Varian's Particle Therapy division. "Penn Medicine recently partnered with Varian on the testing and launch of our newest photon system, Halcyon, and we look forward to their partnership in the advancement of proton therapy."

"Penn Medicine and Varian have a long history of partnership on advanced photon hardware and software and the inclusion of the ProBeam proton technology is a natural extension," said James Metz, MD, chair of Radiation Oncology at Penn. "This new center is part of Penn Medicine's program to expand its multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer into the surrounding community."

Varian booked the order for the equipment in the third quarter of its fiscal year 2017. Varian is also working on proton therapy system installations at 18 other sites around the world.

About Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems focuses energy on saving lives and is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating and managing cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs approximately 6,600 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.